Door or gate operating mechanism for the platforms of cars.



E. MULLER.

DOOR OR GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR. THE PLATFORMS OF (JARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG..31, 1912. 1,079,71 3.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IO E7 INVENTOR'.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (20., WAS HINGTON. D. c.

E. M. MULLER.

DOOR 0R GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE PLATFORMS 0P CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31, 1912.

1,07 9,7 1 3. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

' s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\n i k WITNESSES: INVENTOR Edvard M M01151,

- j/ mw W QOfiW ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. M. MOLLBR. I DOOR 0R GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE PLATFORM-S 0F CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1912.

1,079,71 3, Pat ented Nov. 25, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

v 4748. 6 W 7? f 63 4 3 I h I 40 3g 86 j W fights, 2 6O 35' I 84 9" 88 65 "0- 109 INVENTOR a p Eav a l-a MMUHE;

- ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD M. MOLLER, F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

DOOR OR GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR THE PLATFORMS OF CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed August 31, 1912. Serial No. 718,066.

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door or Grate Operating Mechanism for the Platforms of Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in mechanism for openingand closing a plurality of doors or gate-sectlons, such as are usually located in the side-openings of the vestibules of street railway cars.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel and easily actuated mechanism for opening and closing a plurality of foldable doors or gate-sections located in the side openings of the vestibules of street railway cars. 1

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in View, the invention consists, primarily, in the novel door or gate-closing and opening means for the platforms of railway cars hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatical vertical longitudinal sectional representation of one end of a railway car and its platform, showing in connection therewith and in elevation, and also in their closed relation to the vestibule platform, two sectional doors or gates, and one form of mechanism for simultaneously operating the doors or gates, all illustrating one embodiment of the principles of the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical horizontal sectional repre-,

sentation of a portion of the one end of the .car and a portion of the platform thereof,

said view showing in plan or top view, the

said doors or gates in their closed'relation,

and the mechanism for simultaneously operating said doors. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical cross-sectional representation, said section being taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Figs.

4t and 5 are enlarged detail views, showing in side view certain parts of the door or gate-opening and closing mechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 6 6 in said Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow 00; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional representation, taken on line 7-7 in said Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a similar section taken on line 8-8 in said Fig. 2, said Figs. 6, 7 and 8, all being made on enlarged scales.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to

lndicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates a portion of the body of any usual type of street railway car which is provided at one or both ends with the usual inclosed or vestibule-platform 2 and the usual side-step 3 leading from the platform. The framework of the vestibule is provided upon that side of the platform 2 at which the step 3 is located with a large side-opening which, under normal conditions, is closed by the hinged and fo-ldably disposed sections or members 4 and 5, and 6 and 7 of a pair of doors or gates.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, at suitable points in the flooring of the platform 2 are a pair of socket-like bearingmembers 8 and 9, and in vertical alinement with said bearing-members 8 and 9 and suitably secured to the upper projecting portion 10 of the frame-work of the vestibule, above the said large side-opening hereinabove mentioned, are a pair of bearing-brackets 11 and 12. Oscillatorily mounted in said bearing-member 8 and the bearing-bracket 11 is a vertical rod 13, and oscillatorily arranged in said bearing-member 9 and the bearing-bracket 12 is another vertical rod 1 1, said rod 13 having suitably secured thereto, by means of attaching plates 15, which are fastened to said rod 13 by means of pins 16, the said door-section or member a. The door-section or. member 5 is foldably connected with the said door-section or member 4, by means of, suitable hinges, as 17, and as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings; cured to the previously-mentioned rod 14, by means of attaching plates 18, which are fastened to saidrod 14 by means of pins 19, the previously-mentioned door-section or member 7, said door-section or member 7 being foldably connected" with the door-section or member 6 bymeans of suitable hinges, as 20.

As has beenstated, the main purpose of this invention is to simultaneously cause the oscillatory or rotary movements of the vertical rods 13 and 14, whereby the doors or gate'sare also simultaneously opened, and to accomplish this, the mechanism for operatingjthc saidrodswill presently bemore fully described. In operating the said rods 13 and'14', the door or gate-sections 4'and'7 are moved from their closed positions inwardly upon the platform of the car into their opened positions,iandin order that the respective door-sections 4 and 5, and (Sand 7. will break joints, and that the section 5'will fold upon the section 4, and the section 6 will fold uponthe section- 7, suitable guidingmeansin the form of two bars 21 and 22, arranged in front of the'portion 10" of the frame wo-rk' beneath the projecting portion 10 and directly above the side-opening of the plat-form; is provided, the said bars 21 and being suitably secured in place by means of suitablefastening devices or brackets, as-23 and 24. The door-sections or members5 and 6 have secured thereto, at their upper corners, suitabl'e'plates'25, each plate 25 being provided with a stud or post 26, and a guide-roller 27', said post and roller being mevably disposed in the, guide-space formed between said bars 21 and 22. The action of these rollers 27 is to cause the re spective door-sections or members 4 and 5, andG'and 7 to become folded, when the rods 13 and 14 are rotated so as to bring said door-sections into their open positions with relation to the platform of'the car; but, said rollers 27 serving also to cause theseveral' door-sections or 3 members to assume their straightened-out relation, when the said rods 13 and 14' are-rotated in the oppo site'directions, If desired,'in alinement with 1 thevertical closing joint formed by the two door-sections 'cr members 5 and 6, there may be a dividingpost, as 28, said post being arranged upon'the platform 2, near thesideopening, by havingits lower end-portion arranged in a socket29 and its upper endportion in a socket-like bearing-portion 31 of a bracket 30 which is secured to and extends inwardly from the portion 10 of the frame-work, substantiallyras illustrated in Fig 3 of the drawings.

Having in the" foregoing described the In like manner, there is seegeneral arrangement of the door or gatesections for closing the exit and entranceopenin 's thus rovided b the dividin post s P S s 28, I will now describe one form of mechan1sm for snnultaneously operating all of said door or. gate-sections, so as to move them 1nto thelr open relatlon, or from thelr open 'relatlon into their closed relatlon.

This door or gate-operating mechanism comprises a suitable shaft or spindle 32 which is rotatably mounted in the bearing-portions of suitable bearing-brackets 33 and 34 whichare' suitably secured upon the inner front portion of the vestibule frame 35'. As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the said vertical shaft or spindle'32 is mounted in the upper half of the platform-space, so as to be out of the way, and said shaft or spindle being provided upon its lower end-portion with a suitable crank-lever or arm 36 for turning said shaft orspindle and which is under easy control of'the motorman or other opera-tor stationed upon the platform of the car. As shown more particularly in Figs. 4. and 6 of the drawings, the upper end-portion of the said vertical shaft or spindle 32 extends through the bearing-portion 37 of the bracket 34 and through a bearing-portion, as 39, of a buffer-plate 38 which restsupon the upper surface of the shelf-like member 40 of the bracket 34, and is suitably secured thereto by means-of a bolt 41', or other suitablefastening means. Thesaid plate 38 is provided with an upwardly extending fiange-like member, as 42, which is provided with an arrangement of stops 43 of a suitable flexible material, against which certain parts of the' mechanism are brought into contact, so asto limit the rotary movement of the shaft or spindle 32 in either direction. Resting upon the shelf-like member 40, and mounted upon said shaft orspindie 32, is a collar'44 and secured upon the tapered portion 45 of said shaft or spindle 32 is a crank-arm or link 46, the parts being rigidly connected by means of a washer 47 and a nut 48 which is firmly screwed down upon'thescrew-threaded-end 49 of said shaft or spindle 32. Upon its opposite-.end-portion the said crank-arm or link 46 is provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical stud or pin 50.

rod 13 which extends above the bearing 11 is the bearing-hub 53 of a laterally extending plate 52, said plate being provided with guide-flanges 54, and a perforation, as 55, and an elongated hole 56. The bearing-hub 53 of said plate 52 is rigidly aflixed upon the end-portion 51 of therod 13 by means of a washer 57 and a nut 58 which is firmly screwed down upon the screw-threaded portion 59 of said rod 13, substantially as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings. Adjustably a1 Suitably mounted upon the upper tapered end-portion 51 of the door or gate-carrying;

ranged between the guide-flanges 54 of said plate 52 is a plate-like member or element 60, said member or element 60 being formed with a perforation 61 in alinement with the elongated hole 56 and with an elongated hole 62 in alinement with the perforation 56, the member or element 60 being secured in its adjustable relation upon said plate 52 by an arrangement of bolts 63 and nuts 64, or other suitable fastening means. Upon its opposite free end-portion, the said member or element 60 is made with a hub-like enlargement, as 65, which is provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical stud or pin 66. Pivotally arranged between and connected with the previously-mentioned cylindrical stud or pin 50, and the said cylindrical stud or pin 66 is a suitable adjustable connecting rod, said rod comprising three members 67, 68 and 69.

The member 67 is formed upon its one end with a perforated hub 70 by means of which it is pivotally arranged upon the pin or stud 50, being secured upon said pin or stud 50 by means of a pin 71, or other suitable fastening means. Upon its other end-portion, the said member 67 is made with an internally screw-threaded socket-like portion 72. The member 68 is formed upon its one end with a perforated hub 73 by means of which it is pivotally arranged upon said pin or stud 66, being secured upon said pin or stud 66 by means of a pin 74, or other suitable fastening means. Upon its other end-portion, the said member 68 is also made with an internally screw-threaded socket-like portion 75. The member 69, hereinabove mentioned, is in the form of a connecting rod and is provided with the right and left-hand screw threaded end portions 76 and 77 which are screwed into the respective and correspondingly internally screw-threaded socket-like portions 72 and of the respective members 67 and 68. Thus it will be evident, that after the various parts of this mechanism have been properly adjusted and secured in their assembled relations, by turning the vertical shaft or spindle 32 in either direction, the door or gate-carrying rod 13 is also correspondingly rotated and the door or gate-sections 4 and 5 are brought into their opened or closed relations, as will be clearly evident.

Referring now once more to Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that there is secured by means of a pin 78, or other suitable fastening means, upon the said vertical shaft or spindle 32, at a point suitably below the bearing 37 of the shelf-like member 40 of the bracket 34:, a sleeve-like mem ber 79, said member 79 having a tapered portion 80 and a screw-threaded part 81. Mounted upon the tapered portion 80 of said member 79 is the hub 83 of a crankarm 82, said hub 83 being suitably aflixed to said member 79 so as to turn with the latter and with the shaft or spindle 32 by means of a lock-nut 84 which is screwed upon the screw-threaded portion 81. Upon its opposite end, the said crank-arm 82 is made with ahub-like enlargement, as 85, which is provided with a cylindrical stud or pin 86. Pivotally mounted upon said stud or pin 86, and against accidental displacement therefrom by a pin 87 is a perforated hub 89 of a plate-like member or rod 88, said rod or plate-like member 88 being provided upon its opposite end-portion with an internally screw-threaded socket-like part or member 90. Suitably secured to a portion 91 of the car-body is a plate 92 from which extend a pair of bearing-arms 93 and 9 1 provided at their free end-portions with bearings, as 95. Mounted in said bearings 95 are the ends of a short stem or rod 96, indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 5 of the drawings, said rod 96 being fixed in place against displacement from said bearings 95 by pins 97, or other suitable fastening means. Rotatably arranged upon said rod 96, between the said two bearings 95, is a sleeve 98 with which is suit-ably connected and from which extends laterally a plate 99, similar in construction to the previously-mentioned plate 52, and provided with suitable guide-flanges 100. Adjustably arranged between the guide-flanges 100 of said plate 99 is a platelike member or element 101, said member or element 101 being adjustably secured to said plate 99, in the manner of securing the plate-like member or element 60 to said plate 52, by an arrangement of bolts 102 and nuts 103. The opposite end-p0rtion of said adjusting plate-like element or member 101 is provided with an upwardly extending cylindrical bolt or pin 104 with which is pivo-tally connected against accidental displacement therefrom by means of a pin 105, the perforated hub 107 of a rod or plate-like member 106. Upon its opposite end-portion, the said rod or plate-like member 106 is provided with an internally screwthreaded socket-like portion 108. The reference-character 109 indicates a long connecting rod which is provided with the right and left-hand screw-threaded end-portions 110 and 111 which are screwed into the respective and correspondingly internally screw-threaded socket-like portions and 108 of the plate-like members or rods 88 and 106. Suitably connected with and extending laterally from the upper portion of said sleeve 98 is another crank-arm 112, said arm being provided upon its free end-portion with a cylindrical stud or pin 113. Pivotally connected with said stud or pin 113, and against accidental displacement therefrom by a pin 114, is a crank-arm 115 which is provided upon its opposite free end-portion with an internally screw-threaded socket-like portion 116.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 8 of the drawings, it will be seen that the door or gate-carrying rod 14 has suitably the said screw-threaded socket-like portions- 116' and 125 is a connecting rod 126 which is provided with the right and left-hand screw-threaded end-portions 127 and 128 which-are adapted to be screwed into the respective: and correspondingly internally screw-threaded socket-like portions 116 and 12501 the respective members 115 and 123.

From the foregoing description of these last-mentioned parts, it will be clearly evident, that after these various parts of this mechanism have been properly adjusted and secured in their assembled relations, by turni'ng' the vertical shaft or spindle 32 in either direction,-the door or gate-carrying rod 14 is alsoc'orrespondingly rotated, and the'door or gate-sections 7 and 6 are brought into their opened or closed relation; and, it will be further understood, that by the single turning operation of the said vertical shaft or spindle 32-, all the door or gate-operating mechanisms and devices are actuated simultaneously, so that thedoor-sections or gates are all brought into their opened or closed positions-at the same time. It will also be seen, that all the several parts of the mechanisms and devices are placed in the upper portion of the vestibuled platform, out of theway of the persons passing onto or from the'platform, but are still within easy reach of the workman, so that any part of the mechanism can readily be repaired, when necessary Furthermore, there being no parts of the mechanism beneath the platform of the car, where they are subjected to dirt and wet, and flying particles of dust and stones, the mechanism is not likely to get out of order, or diflicult to operate on account of the bearings and. joints located beneath the car becoming quickly clogged with dirt and dust.

I am aware that changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of theseveral devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the said parts,- without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the clauses of the clannwhich are appended to said spec1fication. Henee,I do not limit my present invention to the'exact arrangements and combinations of the several devices and partsas described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts, as

illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. Mechanism for opening and closing a olurality of fo-ldable doors, comprising a pair of'brackets, a vertical shaft mounted in SELICl brackets, a crank-lever upon the lower end-portion of said shaft, and mechanism connected with the upper end-portion of said shaft for simultaneously operatin g said door or gate-sections, consisting of a crank-arm affixed to said vertical shaft, a pair of adjustably connected plate-like members connected-with one of'sa'id door or gate-sections,

a connectingrod between said crank-arm and: said adjustably' connected plate-like members, a second crank-arm aflixed to said vertical shaft, a third bracket, a second pair of adjustably connected plate-like members pivotally connected with said last-mentioned bracket, a connecting rod between said lastmentioned crank-arm and ad ustably con- ;nected plate-like members, a third crankarm also pivotally connected with said lastmentioned bracket, another crank-arm connected with another one of said door or gate-sections,- and a connecting rod between said two last-mentioned crank-arms, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2.- Mechanism for opening and closing a plurality of foldable doors, comprising a pairof' rotatable vertical door or gate-supporting rods, a pair of foldably connected door or gate-sections connected with each vertical supporting rod,-a. pair of brackets, a'vertical shaft mounted in said brackets, a crank-lever upon the lower end-portion of said shaft, mechanism connected with the upper end-portion of said shaft and with the upper end-portions of said supporting rods for simultaneously turning said rods and simultaneously operating the door or gate-sections connected with said supporting rods, consisting of a crank-arm aflixed to said vertical shaft, a pair of adjustably connected plate-like members connected with one of said-vertical supporting rods, a connecting rod between said crank-arm and said adjustably connected plate-like mem-- bers, a second crank-arm afiixed to said vertical shaft, a third bracket, a second pair of adjustably connected plate-like members pivotally connected with said last-mentioned bracket, a connecting rod between said lastm'entioned crank-arm and adjustably connected plate-like members, a third crankarm also pivotally connectedwith said lastmentioned bracket, another crank-arm connected with the other of said vertical supporting rods, and a connecting rod between said two last-mentioned crank-arms, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The herein described mechanism for operating a plurality of door or gate-sections, comprising a pair of bearing-brackets, a vertical shaft mounted in said brackets, a crank-lever connected with said shaft, a buffer-plate upon one of said brackets, a crankarm a'fiixed to said vertical shaft, said crankarni being adapted to be moved into arresting engagement with said buffer-plate, a pair of adjustably connected plate-like members connected with one of the door-sections, a connecting rod between said crank-arm and said adjustably connected plate-like members, a second crank-arm affixed to said vertical shaft, a third bracket, a second pair of adjustably connected plate-like members pivotally connected with said last-mentioned bracket, a connecting rod between said last-mentioned crank-arm and adjustably connected plate-like members, a third crank-arm also pivotally connected with said last-mentioned bracket, another crankarm connected with another door or gatesection, and a connecting rod between said two last-mentioned crank-arms.

4. The herein described mechanism for operating a plurality of door or gate-sections, comprising a pair of bearing-brackets, a vertical shaft mounted in said brackets, a cranklever connected with said shaft, a bufier-plate upon one of said brackets, a crank-arm aflixed to said vertical shaft, said crank-arm being adapted to be moved into arresting engagement with said buffer-plate, a pair of adjustably connected plate-like members connected with one of the doorsections, a connecting rod between said crank-arm and said adjustably connected plate-like members, said connecting rod consisting of two members, said members being respectively provided with right and left internally screw-threaded sockets, and a rod-like member having right and left screw-threaded end-portions screwed into said sockets, a second crank-arm affixed to said vertical shaft, a third bracket, a second pair of adjustably connected plate-like members pivotally connected with said lastmentioned bracket, a connecting rod between said last-mentioned crank-arm and adjustably connected plate-like members, said connecting rod consisting of two members, said members being respectively provided with right and left internally screwthreaded sockets, and a rod-like member having right and left screw-threaded endportions screwed into said sockets, a third crank-arm also pivotally connected with said last-mentioned bracket, another crankarm connected with another door or gatesection, and a connecting rod between said two last-mentioned crank-arms, said connecting rod consisting of two members, said members. being respectively provided with right and left internally screw-threaded sockets, and a rod-like member having right and left screw-threaded end-portions screwed into said sockets, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of August, 1912.

EDVARD M. MULLER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FREDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0; A

Commissioner of ZPatents, 

